The Single Girl’s Guide to Brunch

There’s something about brunch and being able to eat and drink without the usual rules that go hand in hand with being single.

Chris Garasic, executive chef at Shade in Manhattan Beach, serves up Truffle Kobe Sliders at The Taste’s brunch event on the Paramount Studiobacklot on Sunday, August 31, 2014.

Has brunch turned me into a commitment-phobe? When asked to join friends for weekend breakfast or lunch, I’ll always push for brunch — that magnificent hybrid of sweet and savory indulgences where day-drinking bottomless carafes is not only acceptable but also encouraged. “Mimosa, latte and Pellegrino, please. And keep them coming.”

Cocktails in the morning? Debauchery! And while we’re at it, let’s be crazy and eat lemon ricotta pancakes in the middle of the afternoon.

Thanks to brunch, I don’t have to commit to one meal at one time of day. Eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy with thick-cut bacon, spinach and mushroom frittata, salmon ceviche, market-fresh fruit and chocolate croissants are wonderful at 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.

You know what else is lovely about brunch? The possibilities. If I’m not in the mood for lunch, brunch has my back. We singles are often reminded to step out of our comfort zones, to not always go for the same “type” and be open to possibilities. A brunch menu laden with options qualifies, does it not?

“Michelle, you need to look for other types of guys.”

“What’s wrong with ambitious, emotionally available and tall?”

“I know this guy who wouldn’t be intimidated by your self-sufficient nature and success.”

“So he’s unemployed?”

“You need to lower your standards. What he lacks in job and income, he makes up for by being really nice. In fact, he said he’d be happy to let you support him.”

“Gee, how benevolent of him. I’m not looking for a 39-year-old dependent.”

“You’re too picky.”

“He’s shorter than me, isn’t he?

“So don’t wear heels.”

“When I’m in the arms of a tall man, I feel safe and protected.”

“You need to be open to anything.”

“I’m open to French toast with strawberries, crab cakes, asparagus risotto and cinnamon sticky buns co-existing harmoniously on the brunch menu.”

“No wonder you’re single.”

Think about it. You could go to breakfast and order waffles. You could go to lunch and order a chicken sandwich. Or you could go to brunch and eat crispy fried chicken and waffles drenched in syrup and be swept away to sweet and savory nirvana.

That’s why I checked out the Sunday Brunch event at The Taste, where there are all kinds of L.A. brunch flavors to discover in one delicious setting. The Taste is part of an annual culinary festival held on the Paramount Pictures Studios backlot over Labor Day Weekend. I flitted from tent to tent and chef to chef, sampling the city’s best bites and beverages.

Shaking things up at Sunday Brunch with handcrafted cocktails.

From Manhattan Beach’s Shade Hotel, there were delicious Quail Egg Huevos Rancheros and Truffle Parmesan Biscuits and Gravy—made-from-scratch biscuits covered in wild mushroom-smoked bacon gravy, topped with a soft- poached free range egg and served with candied Applewood-smoked bacon. I was wowed. Executive Chef Chris Garasic also served up an incredible Truffle Kobe Slider with caramelized onions, Portobello mushrooms, wild arugula and truffle aioli on a brioche bun. I can’t stop daydreaming about that wickedly good combination of ingredients sandwiched inside fluffy homemade brioche.

Firefly’s Executive Chef Paul Shoemaker created a refreshing, chilled Maine Lobster with Bloody Mary sauce, crunchy celery and crème fraiche. Asian Box offered chicken porridge and Sriracha, so tasty and creamy that I had to go back for seconds.

If you missed The Taste this year, fret not, dear brunchers, it’s an annual event. I’m already committing to it on my calendar for next year. Who’s with me? Say those three little words that I long to hear: “Let’s do brunch.”

You know, I don’t think my love of brunch has anything to do with fear of commitment. Brunch is about the best of both meals — no compromise — which brings me back to dating. I won’t settle. I don’t have to choose between a tall, gorgeous stack of blueberry pancakes and the sensible green salad. Would I like a daring, devilish cocktail before noon or the reserved English breakfast tea? Yes, yes, yes and yes. I really can have it all.

I’m not suggesting that you break up with breakfast or blow off lunch. On the contrary, get out there and enjoy your options. When the weekend rolls around, grab some friends, break out of your (egg) shell and have some lunch with your breakfast.

Michelle Gigon is the Food, Wine & Spirits Editor for Singular magazine and the leader of SingularCity’s Girls, Guys and Grapes group. On her list of favorite things are (A) discovering memorable epicurean experiences and (B) telling people about them. A former brand agent at CAA, Michelle is also a freelance creative director on lifestyle marketing programs for Lexus, Nestlé, TV Land and Aspen Food & Wine Classic.

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One thought on “The Single Girl’s Guide to Brunch”

I never realized how romantic brunch could be! Another article by Ms. Gigon that leaves me salivating. I always appreciate learning about new eateries and events in and around the L.A. area. Thank you!